Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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143. To ask the Minister for Finance how many taxpayers are currently claiming the rent tax credit, by county, in tabular form. [47129/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Rent Tax Credit, as provided for in section 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA 1997), was introduced by the Finance Act 2022 and may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2025.

I am advised by Revenue that the Rent Tax Credit statistics currently available refer only to claims by PAYE taxpayers for the 2022 tax year and the 2023 tax year to-date. Data on claims by self-assessed taxpayers is not yet available as these taxpayers’ returns are generally submitted later in the year. The statutory filing date for the 2022 tax return for self-assessed taxpayers is 31 October 2023.

Claims in respect of the 2022 year of assessment can be made by PAYE taxpayers by submitting an Income Tax return for that year. For claims relating to 2023, PAYE taxpayers have the option of claiming the rent tax credit due to them either as rent is incurred or at the end of the year through their Income Tax return.

Rent Tax Credit claims are made are on a ‘taxpayer unit’ basis. A taxpayer unit is either an individual with any personal status who is singly assessed or a couple in a marriage or civil partnership who have elected for joint assessment.

I am further advised that as of 22 October 2023, 300,958 Rent Tax Credit claims have been made by 261,347 taxpayer units consisting of:

(i) 202,873 taxpayer units that made claims for 2022 only,

(ii) 39,611 taxpayer units that made claims for both 2022 and 2023,

(iii) 18,863 taxpayer units that made claims for 2023 only,

Rent Tax Credit claims relating to tax year 2022 as of 18 October 2023